‘Untitled’, 2009
University of Loughborough, Fine Art BA Hons
The actual materiality and process of making a painting is a key aspect to Abi Benford’s work. Inspired by geometric patterns she uses a variety of mediums to explore the contrasting elements of depth, flatness, and texture within painting. She uses paint in a way not to represent reality, but to emphasise the contrasting qualities of the medium itself. Moving even further away from traditional painting in recent works Abi has began to explore painting as an installation, escaping the confines of the frame. She investigates the impact of the viewer’s relationship to the work via properties of scale, physical presence and intimacy. For this exhibition Abi has made a new painting installation that is site specific to the gallery’s foyer area.
Joanna John
‘Dwell’, 2009
University of Derby, Fine Art BA Hons
Joanna John’s art explores the theme of the built environment; what human kind has done and continues to do to make its mark on the plant. The disturbing yet fascinating mega-development happenings in places like China and the Middle East have provided inspiration; the idea that whilst the strain on the world’s resources reaches breaking point, nations strive to build bigger, better, higher. This extreme construction and consumerism has informed her art and choice of materials, developing a commitment to using found or recycled objects. Working in 3D Joanna creates sculpture that endeavour to take the mundane and everyday objects that are often overlooked and turn them into something with renewed visual interest and strong formal qualities. It is through this practice which Joanna has created a site-specific installation for Surface Gallery.
Neil Dixon
‘No Place’, 2009
Nottingham Trent University, Fine Art BA Hons
Neil Dixon’s large-scale growing sculptures develop from 2D drawing on paper into 3D drawings with wood. Imagination, fiction, and narrative inform Neil’s work as he aims to explore how an empty space can be transformed into the illusion of a different place. Working without a strict plan Neil allows the work to take shape and a narrative to develop which determines the end result. For this exhibition Neil has created a new sculpture in the gallery made predominately from old palettes and scraps of wood, which explores contrasts between reality and illusion, and the gigantic and the miniature.
Benjamin Cohen
‘Oumah’, 2009
University of Loughborough, Fine Art BA Hons
Benjamin Cohen’s practice is predominantly based around the human figure. His paintings spark from the realness and intensity of the sensation experienced from the subject’s presence. The methodology and the language of the paint is integral to the emergence of the image. Unable to pin point an exact explanation and logical reasoning for his work. Benjamin feels that the justification can be found in the painting themselves. With the paint it is itself like a language, it takes on its own life and creates a unique expression which cannot be put into words. For this exhibition Surface Gallery have selected ‘Oumah’, a painting Benjamin exhibited at his Degree Show exact explanation and logical reasoning for his work Benjamin feels that the justification can be found in the Exhibition.
Charlotte Ratcliffe
‘Untitled’, 2009 and ‘Untitled 2’, 2009
University of Loughborough, BA Hons Fine Art
Charlotte Ratcliffe paints in a unique manner that seems to capture the growing attention to new hybrid cultures and places in the contemporary world. She explores the idea of the ‘in-between’ space or ‘non-place’, the expanding regions not belonging to any one subject, but positioned in the fringe connecting the two. Her paintings verge on the edge of fantasy and reality, uniting elements of the organic and artificial. Charlotte uses both traditional and contemporary painting methods, incorporating areas of representation and heavy abstraction into the paintings. Yet retaining a sense of place and structure, she creates a play between the flatness and the 3D. For this exhibition Surface Gallery have selected two paintings from Charlotte’s Degree show collection.
Bobby Goulding
‘Untitled’, 2009
Nottingham Trent University, Photography BA Hons
Bobby Goulding’s work concerns the human race’s modern connection with spirituality. Mournful, sometimes cynical, yet always a brooding optimism, showing a belief in the power of the human mind. For this exhibition Bobby has created a site specific installation in the gallery space.
Andrew Martyn Sugars
‘Monument’, 2009
University of Derby, BA Hons Fine Art
Andrew Martyn Sugars work stems from a personal journey of evolution and development into the contemporary art world. Driven by research and personal investigation Andrew aims to attempt ‘action’. For this exhibition Andrew presents Monument (2009) in the form of sculptural new media. The action was seen first in an experimental film aesthetic of evolution, which was inspired by the notion of peak oil. In the journey since the film, the action became centred on a man made puddle in a man made environment. Monument fuses these two actions together, and presents the journey of the idea itself.
Alex Mazziteli
‘The Mental Image of a Past Cycled Experience’, 2009
D Montfort University, BA Hons Fine Art
Alex Mazzieteli’s surreal sculptures are created from an assemblage of found everyday objects. Deemed as ‘useless’ objects Alex brings these unwanted things back to life, during a laborious selection process the chosen objects somehow fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. His installations are ambiguous, which allows the pieces to speak for themselves provoking a sense of wonder, imagination, and narrative in the viewer. For this exhibition Alex presents ‘The Mental image of a past cycled experience’, a sculpture made during this year and exhibited at his Degree Show.
Rachel
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